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Aedirn
The Kingdom of Aedirn is the largest kingdom of the four Northern Kingdoms, as well as the oldest Human kingdom on the continent. The North's vast heartland, framed by the Iron and Tretogor Mountains, contains miles and miles of rolling hills, tall grass prairies, sky-blue rivers, and fertile farmlands. Within these plains, the hardworking people of the realm tend to their fields and businesses while the armed protectors of civilization battle back the wild beasts and wandering bandits looking to prey on these points of enduring society. The Golden Roadway meanders across the endless plains, connecting the coasts and bringing caravans between with fresh trade and intrigue to the industrious pioneers of the plains. It is governed from the ancient city of Barrowton, and includes the settlements of Fairmarket, Goldengrove, Duskendale and Kingsgrave. History Dawn Age Aedirnwas the first region of Albion to be settled by humans, formerly only being populated by small communities of gnomes. Humans originating from the Andal wastes began to establish small farming communities across the Golden Hills, building countless barrows in which to ritually entomb their dead. The first city of Albion, Barrowton, was built at the foot of the Dragonspire, beginning as a small community of both farmers and miners and steadily growing into the largest settlement in the region, thus assuming control of the region and its resources. A loose confederation of farming communities was formed, with Barrowton governing them all. The first King of the Dragonspire, Daeron the Oak, originated from a tiny farming village named Oakvale. He was selected on account of his incredible, almost supernatural, abilities, and was thus known as the First Hero. Since then, the King of the Barrows was selected not on the basis of heritage, but on the basis of martial and magical prowess. It was in the early years of rule that the Hero's Guild was formed, an organisation consisting of those talented in magic and melee that sought to defend the growing human population from the wild monsters to which Albion is home. Age of Heroes The Heroes Guild, built on the banks of Bower Lake, was an organisation that adopted and trained so-called 'Heroes', or those unnaturally proficient in magic and melee, with the aim of protecting and leading the people of Albion. Early in its existence the Guild produced two heroes that would shape the future of Albion- the warrior Varus and the mage Vexus. The two were bitter rivals, and it was the intensity of their rivalry that saw them both exiled from the Guild. Nevertheless both seeking to make their mark on history they set out to explore further west, beyond the foothills of the Iron Mountains. The two were commissioned by the King of the Dragonspire to forge routes west through the mountains, with Varus to follow the Silverwater in the north and Vexus to trace the Bower Rush in the South. The two rivers, however, created a conflux, and it was there the two heroes were reunited after their treacherous journeys. Together they established the settlement of Riverrun, which they ruled together. In time the heroes had a son, Edmund, who would go on to become the First Lion, founder of Lionsgate. Also from the guild emerged Durran Godsgrief, the founder of Westcliffe, and Arlan the Brightlord, founder of Bowerstone The Great Sorrows In the years that followed, the entirety of Albion experienced the longest winter in known history, devastating agriculture throughout Barrow Fields. Much of the rural population subsequently sought refuge in the urban centres of Albion, especially Barrowton. Likely a result of this dramatic and vast relocation, a devastating plague that came to be known as the 'Great Sorrow' swept across Barrow Fields, wiping out over a quarter of the population. Grief and despair, however, soon turned to rage and action as the populace of Aedirnsought an explanation for the tragedy that had befallen every family. One night, claiming that the Gods were enraged at the defiling of magic that was taking place there, a huge mass of armed peasants stormed the Hero's Guild and razed it to the ground, murdering or expelling the heroes that resided there. On the very same night, Haldren the Conqueror made his crossing at Bridgetown, far to the west, where he was met by the Storm King Tytos. In the shallows of the Bloodwater Tytos was slain, and Haldren became King of Albion. Seeking to spare his already crippled kingdom from further destruction that a war with Tytos would bring, the King of the Dragonspire bent the knee to the King of Albion and Aedirnwas absorbed into the Kingdom. While the other Holds of the Kingdom were governed by hereditary rulers, Aedirnwas allowed to continue their tradition of electing their King by merit rather that right- so long as the canditate was vetted by the King of Albion Recent History In the century that followed Aedirnslowly recovered from devastation, becoming once again the agricultural powerhouse of the west. Barrowton grew exponentially, fed by the prosperous harvests reaped by the many villages and hamlets throughout the region. The Hero's Guild, however, was never rebuilt, and no organisation of heroes ever arose in it's place. As a result, monsters increased in numbers unchecked throughout Barrow Fields, as did subsequent attacks. The wilds became wilder, and with banditry and marauding on the rise without the protection of soldiers, all off fighting in the sands of Exandria, the roads have become increasingly dangerous to travel. However the current Lord of the Dragonspire is, by most accounts, an honest and fair ruler, and under his rule Hold has continued to grow and prosper, spurred by recent bountiful harvests. Places of Interest Barrowton The oldest city in Albion, the largest city of Hold and the Hold Capital, Barrowton is located at the foot of the Dragonspire in the heart of Aedirnand sprawls over a considerable area. The city is renown for it's many taverns and mead halls, of which its citizens are frequent patrons. The city is dominated by the huge castle carved into the Dragonspire, the seat and home of the Lord of the Barrows. Barrowton is the epicentre of trade in the region, where all trade goods are stored before being carted off to the rest of the Kingdom. Goldengrove The largest unwalled settlement of the region, Goldengrove is a prosperous farming community in the Golden Hills Oakfield Nestled in the most heavily wooded area of the Hold, Oakfield is an extremely old settlement surrounded by ancient barrows. Asheford Located at the crossing of the Bower Rush, Asheford is a small trading settlement along the prosperous Kingsroad that links Barrowton to Lionsgate. Boulderfall Built in the foothills of the Tretogor mountains amongst a dense conifer forest, Duskendale situated directly in the only traversable passage of the Tretogor that links Aedirnto the Trade Way. It is also the beginning of the 12,000 steps to the Kragspire The Golden Hills So named for the vast expanse of golden grasslands, the Golden Hills stretch from the outskirts of Barrowton to the Andal Wastes far to the east. Known for the incredible fertility of it's soil, much of the region is used as farmland for the local populace Bower Lake Silver Lake The Hero's Guild